Bottle-tap.



J l l m Patented Dec.'3|, |901, A. A. RIGKERT.

no. 690,184. v

BOTTLE' TAP.

(Application led Nay 16, 1901.)

(lio Modal.)

@Jui/Emme@ UNTTBD STATES PATENT Critica.-

AUGUST A. RICKERT, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T() CHARLES K. i

LONGENECKER AND JULIAN SCHOLL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE-TAP.

SPECIFIGAION forming' part Gf Letters Patent No. 690,184, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed May l5, 1901. Serial No. 60,266. (No model.)

T all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, AUGUST A. RICKERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Taps, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle-taps by means of which effervescent 1o liquids contained in bottles lnay be withdrawn in any desired quantity without removing the cork from the bottle or permitting the gas to escape.

The invention is particularly designed for bottles containing beverages which are charged with a heavy pressure of gas, such as champagne.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a bottle-neck provided 2o with my improvements, the bottle-top cap being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a central sectional View through Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the threaded tube, and Fig. 4 is a plan View of the bottle-top cap.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the neck of a bottle adapted to contain liquids charged with gas, such as cham pague-bottles, and B indicates a cork fitted within the mouth of the bottle. This cork is formed with an ge opening extending longitudinally through it, and within said opening is arranged a tube C, having upon its exterior surface a thread l. The lower end of the tube is closed by a conical head 2, and above this head is an opening 3, extending laterally through the tube and communicating with the bore 4 of the tube. The upper end 5 of the tube is suitably formed for engagement with a turning instrument. As shown, the exterior of the 4o tube atsaid end is angular in outline and projects above the upper end of the cork. This tube is inserted within the opening in the cork before the latter is forced into the bottle, and it will be seen that when the tube is turned in one direction the openings 3 will bedrawn within the opening in the cork and the conical head 2 will be drawn upward against the lower end of the cork and forced tightly against the walls of the opening, thus 5o etfectually closing the bottle against the escape of liquid or gas and at the same time wedging the lower end of the cork against the bottle-neck. Vhen the tube is turned in the opposite direction, it will be forced inward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the liquid may pass freely through the tube by Way of the openings 3. It will be understood that previous to screwing the tube inward the bottle will be inverted, so that the gas will be in the bottom of the bottle and the liquid will 6o be next to the cork and the liquid only will escape.

In champagne and other bottles where a high pressure of gas is maintained it is customary to secure the cork within the neck of the bottle by means of wires, such as the Wire 6, which passes around the neck of the bottle and over the metal crown 7, placed upon the cork to prevent the wire from cutting into the cork. In my improvement this crown is 7o provided with a central opening, as shown in the drawings, through which the end of the tube may project. It is also customary in bottling high-class beverages of this description t0 cover the bottle-tops with lnetal foil 75 or seals, and it is therefore desirable to arrange my invention so that the tube will not interfere with placing the metal foil or seal upon the bottle. For this purpose and also to provide a suitable wrench or turning instru- 8o ment for engaging and turning the tap I provide a bottle-top cap D, which, as shown, consists of a metal shell, the upper portion 8 of which is substantially hemispherical, the lower portion 9 being cylindrical and having 85 suitable corrugations l0, by which the cap may be gripped in the hand. In the center of the cap is an angular opening l1, which when the cap is inverted, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, is adapted to tit over the an- 9o gular end 5 of the tube. The cylindrical portion of the cap tits tightly around the upper edge ot' the cork and is held frictionally in place. It will be seen that with this arrangement the tube is protected and cannot be accidentally turned and that it will not interfere with placing the metal foil or seal around the top of the bottle or give an unsightly ap` pearance to the latter.

In operation the cap D and the wire G are roo removed. The cap is then inverted, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, with the opening 1l engaging the upper end of the tube. The bottle is then turned with the mouth downward and the tube screwed inward, as shown in dotted lines. The liquid will then be forced outthrough the tube, as previously described. When a sufcient quantity of liquid has been withdrawn, the tube is turned in the opposite direction and drawn into the position shown in full lines, thus closing the bottle and preventing further escape of gas or liquid. The cap D may then be replaced upon the cork, where it is held frictionally in position.

The cap D may be otherwise formed and provided with any suitable form of opening which will engage and turn the tube.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Atap for bottle-corks consisting ol a tube having a screw-thread upon its periphery adapted to engage an opening in the bottlecork, a lateral opening near its lower end, a conical head closing the lower end of the tube and adapted to seat against the lower end of the cork, and having its upper end suitably shaped for engagement with a turning instrument. A

2. In a bottle-closure, the combination of a cork, and a bottle-top cap adapted to cover the cork, with a tube having a screw-thread upon its periphery adapted to engage an opening in the cork, a lateral opening near its lower end, and a head closing the lower end ot' said tube and adapted to seatagainst the lower end of the cork, said cap and the upper end of said tube being constructed to mutually engage whereby the tube may be turned by the cap to open and close the bottle.

3. In a bottle-closure, the combination with a tap comprisinga tube having a screw-thread upon its periphery adapted to engage an opening in the bottle-cork, a lateral opening near its lower end, and a head closing the lower end of said tube and adapted to seat against the cork, of a bottle-top cap adapted to cover the cork and extend over the end of said tube, said cap and the upper end of said tube being constructed to mutually engage whereby the tap may be turned by thecap to open and close the bottle.

et. In a bottle-closure, the combi-nation with atap comprising atube having a screw-thread upon its periphery adapted to engage an opening in the bottle-cork, a lateral opening near its lower end, and a head closing the lower end of said tube and adapted to seat against the cork, ofa bottletop cap adapted to cover the cork and extend over the end of said tube, said cap having an opening therethrough adapted to engage the upper end of the tube Awhereby said tube may be turned b v the cap to open andvclose the bottle.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

AUGUST A. RICKERT. Witnesses:

y J. (l. STUReEoN, ROY G. SWABB. 

